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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2159867.stm
Monday, 29 July, 2002, 19:17
GMT 20:17 UK
Nablus residents
defy Israeli curfew
For the
second day in a row thousands of Palestinians have taken to
the streets of Nablus in direct defiance of an Israeli army
curfew.
Shops and
banks in the West Bank town opened to accommodate the customers,
who have been living under curfew for more than a month.
The Israeli
army imposed an around-the-clock curfew 40 days ago, but as
the protest occurred the troops refrained from intervening.
Earlier,
Israel arranged for the transfer of $15m in frozen tax revenues
to the Palestinian Authority - the first such transfer since
fighting erupted in September 2000
Confined
to homes
In Nablus
the curfew has been particularly tight - being lifted officially
on five brief occasions to allow people to carry out all of
their errands and stock up on supplies.
"I've been
confined to my home for more than a month. I have eight children,
we've eaten all we have," said Tamer Adnan, who broke the curfew
to open his falafel stall.
"I'm just
fighting to get food for my kids," he added.
Israeli
soldiers in armoured vehicles surrounding the town did not attempt
to stop the crowds.
"There
is a curfew and we are aware of the violations. For the moment
we are not responding," said military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel
Olivier Rafowicz.
Solidarity
calls
The governor
of Nablus, Mahmoud Aloul, who had urged residents to break the
curfew, said he hoped the success in Nablus would spark similar
protests in other towns.
"People
who can't find food and need medicine and treatment should break
the doors of their jail," Mr Aloul said.
"It's a
way of civic resistance and it's a legitimate way, because we
are not carrying weapons, we are not killing anybody," he added.
Israel
started imposing its restrictions on seven out of eight major
Palestinian population centres in the West Bank on 20 June following
a spate of suicide bomb attacks International aid agencies have
warned that the curfews are leading to a humanitarian crisis.
A widely
leaked report by the US Agency for International Development
suggested 30% of Palestinian children under-five are now suffering
from chronic malnutrition - a 7% rise since fighting began.
And 21%
are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Freeing
up funds
On Monday,
in what it described as a "goodwill gesture", Israel agreed
to transfer $15m to the Palestinian Authority.
Israel
collects customs and taxes for Palestinian goods passing in
and out of Israel and is supposed to transfer the funds to the
Palestinian Authority.
But since
the beginning of the intifada Israel has refused to pass on
the money, saying that it would be used to fund "terrorist"
activity.
The transfer
is the first of three instalments - Israel is currently holding
about $600m of the Palestinian Authority's money.
Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has also ordered an easing of some
restrictions on Palestinian civilians.
Mr Sharon
ordered a shortening of curfew hours, the dismantling of some
military checkpoints and raised the number of work permits for
Palestinians working in Israel to 12,000.
Before
the conflict, some 125,000 Palestinians crossed into Israel
daily for work.
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